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He made the claim in an interview with The Rest is Politics podcast, which is set to be released on Monday. Source: bbc.co.uk.
What Burnham Said
Upon arriving at 10 Downing Street, Burnham asked about possible Russian interference in the Brexit vote. He received a clear answer: ‘Yes, there was.’
He said the UK had been ‘too much on the back foot’ in addressing foreign interference. ‘We haven’t informed people sufficiently about the extent to which people are seeking to disrupt the political process from overseas,’ he added.
Foreign Interference in Other Countries
Burnham said he discussed the issue with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a recent visit to Germany.
He noted that misinformation and disinformation are spreading from Russia into German politics. ‘There is certainly misinformation, disinformation that is emanating from Russia into German politics,’ he said.
He emphasized the importance of making these points public. ‘These things are important now to put clearly on the record and I believe help voters in Germany and France understand that some of this politics is instigated via our enemies, namely Russia.’
Response from Pro-Brexit Group
Britain Unbound, a pro-Brexit campaign group, responded to Burnham’s comments. It called the assertion ‘another crude attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the decision that the British people made in 2016.’
The group said foreign interference in UK elections is ‘obviously unacceptable’ but added: ‘There is no good reason to believe that Russian intervention influenced the outcome of the referendum in 2016.’
It also described the suggestion that voters were easily duped as ‘insulting’.
Background: Past Reports on Russian Influence
In 2020, Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee published a report on Russian interventions in UK elections and referendums.
The report did not conclude definitively that Russia influenced the EU referendum result. It criticized successive governments for failing to fully assess or counter the threat.
The Russian foreign minister dismissed the report as ‘Russophobia’. A Kremlin spokesman said Russia did not meddle in other countries’ elections.
Disinformation and AI Use
BBC Verify has tracked Russian-linked disinformation campaigns. These include using artificial intelligence to create fake videos that impersonate journalists and news organisations reporting on Ukraine.
One fake website falsely claimed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky bought a mansion owned by King Charles at a discounted price.
Vijay Rangarajan, head of the UK Electoral Commission, told MPs that Russian deepfake videos had been ‘used extensively in elections around the world’.
He added: ‘There is no reason to assume Britain would be an exception.’
UK Response to Disinformation
Last month, during a UN speech, Burnham accused Russian agencies of using ‘every means at their disposal to spread lies and disinformation and prey on people’s fears’.
He announced the UK would establish a new centre to ‘stem the poisonous tide’ of disinformation.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the UK is focused on protecting citizens and institutions from foreign powers and their proxies. This includes strengthening the National Security Act, critical infrastructure, borders, and police and intelligence agencies.
